Bride of Frankenstein poster could top $95,000

DALLAS — A very rare insert poster from the 1935 Universal all-time classic horror movie, “The Bride of Frankenstein,” will anchor the exceptional collection offered by Heritage Auctions in its July 16-17 Signature® Vintage Movie Poster Auction, taking place at the company’s headquarters at 3500 Maple Avenue, and online at www.HA.com. The poster is expected to bring in excess of $95,000.

This is the first time this exceptional insert poster has been offered by Heritage.

“I cannot overstate the rarity and desirability of original release poster material for this movie, one of the greatest classic horror films of all time,” said Grey Smith, Director of Movie Poster Auctions at Heritage. “Only a handful of these insert posters have ever surfaced, period. It features some of the best art ever designed for this release. Collectors don’t get a chance like this too often.”

If “The Bride of Frankenstein” has any rival in terms of rarity and desirability among collectors of classic horror posters, then it lies in “Dracula,” one of the most frightening movies ever made. This remains true in this auction, as well, as a “Dracula” jumbo lobby card, original from the collection of Kirk Hammett, popular guitarist of Metallica fame is being offered. It is estimated at $20,000.

“Producing the best of the horror genre, first with ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame‘ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ Universal studios quickly set its sights on Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’” said Smith. “The result was one of the most iconic films in cinematic history and one of the top titles for poster collectors to own. This beauty will be a star in any serious collection.”

An insert movie poster from United Artists’ 1929 “Bulldog Drummond,” estimated at $5,000, highlights the auction’s offerings of early sound movie posters, along with an insert movie poster for MGM’s 1930 classic Anna Christie, which featured the amazing Greta Garbo in one of her most famous performances. It, too, is estimated at $5,000. Rounding out the early sound offerings is a Style B half sheet for the 1930 Academy Award Best Picture Winner “All Quiet on the Western Front,” another seminal classic from Universal. It carries a $4,500 presale estimate.

The musical section offers collectors one of the strongest areas of the entire auction, with an original insert poster from “The Wizard of Oz” leading the way with a $20,000 estimate. A one sheet from Warner Brothers 1933 “Footlight Parade,” a great representative of the early 1930s heyday of the musical, is being offered at Heritage for the first time with this event and also carries a presale estimate of $20,000.

Great Film Noir is a standby in Heritage movie poster auctions, satisfying an important demand for collectors, and this auction’s noir offerings are topped with a one sheet for Paramount’s 1942 “This Gun For Hire,” the first film that saw the timeless pairing of Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd, with a $20,000 estimate.

A Double Indemnity (Paramount, 1944) three sheet has already been generating buzz among collectors — it carries a $7,500 estimate — while a one sheet for Gun Crazy (United Artists, 1949) comes with a $7,000 presale estimate.

Few areas of movie poster collecting are as hotly contested as classic animation and the Heritage July 16-17 event features a wide selection of important offerings, beginning with a Style B one sheet from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (RKO, 1937), which carries an $8,000 estimate.

“No other animated film generates the same level of awe and nostalgia as this masterpiece, which was Walt Disney’s first full-length film,” said Smith. “This highly desirable style B one sheet features all the characters, including the beloved seven dwarfs, with the classic artwork by Gustaf Tenggren.”

A one sheet poster for Donald’s Cousin Gus (RKO, 1939) represents one of the most intriguing pieces in the auction and one of the rarest Disney posters of all. The cartoon was one of Donald Duck’s early starring shorts, his eleventh to be exact, and featured what was to be the only appearance of Gustave Goose, whose only trick seemed to be his ability to eat endlessly. It carries a pre-auction estimate of $8,000.

Further Disney highlights include a very rare Walt Disney’s Academy Award Revue (United Artists, 1937) one sheet (estimated at $6,000); a superb one sheet for Silly Symphony “Bugs in Love” (United Artists, 1932), estimated at $6,000 and Pluto’s Dream House (RKO, 1940), one sheet, estimated at $5,000, rounds out the offerings.

Westerns are one of the hobby’s most popular segments, and collectors of this genre will find several excellent examples to enhance their collections with, including a very rare one sheet – one of only two known to exist – for Hop-a-Long Cassidy (Paramount, 1935), from the first film in the series, estimated at $10,000. Also along for the ride is a full set of eight lobby cards from John Wayne’s breakout movie, Stagecoach (United Artists, 1939), with estimates ranging from $2,000 to $2,500 for those cards featuring John Wayne and between $700 and $1,000 for the other cards.

For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, visit www.HA.com.